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Japanese Journal of Applied Physics

High Tc Superconducting Flash A/D Converter Using Planar Quasi-One Junction Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs)

Toshimasa Umezawa, T. Fujita, Yasushi Higashino

Published Aug 1, 1996• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

We have designed and fabricated a planar HTS (DyBaCuO) superconducting quasi-one junction (QOS) Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) for a flash A/D converter using step-edge Josephson junctions. The simulation suggests that the HTS QOS bandwidth is limited with 2.6 GHz by an external shunted capacitor. To fabricate a 1–2 µ m size SQUID inductance hole and step-edge junctions, a stepper photo-lithography process was employed. To make a sensitive comparator, a flux transformer was directly installed on the QOS, whose magnetic field gain of 833 was in agreement with the designed value of 828. The basic analog to digital conversion test of the QOS comparator was confirmed at a frequency of 10 kHz–1 MHz at 77 K. The dynamic range was estimated as 2Φ0.

DOI
10.1143/jjap.35.l981

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A flash-type superconducting A/D (analog/digital) converter is proposed. The basis low-frequency operation of this converter, which compromises a quantum flux parametron (QFP) and an RF SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device), has been observed. The RF SQUID consists of a Josephson junction and a load inductor which is part of the QFP. It converts an analog signal to period digital signals of one quantum flux (2.07*10/sup -5/ W-b) per cycle. The QFP works as both an amplifier and a comparator of the periodic digital signals, by adding an exciting signal. This A/D converter is expected to achieve high-speed operation of 20 GHz. Several 4-bit A/D converter circuits were fabricated, using the conventional Nb-Pb alloy process, with a junction size of 5 mu m*5 mu m and supercurrent density of 200 A/cm/sup 2/. Basic operation at 100 KHz was confirmed experimentally.>
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